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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/30127506">Define Family</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/JWillowwolf/pseuds/JWillowwolf'>JWillowwolf</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>What FamILY Means [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Sanders Sides (Web Series)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - High School, Family, Kid Morality | Patton Sanders, M/M, Nonbinary Character, Nonbinary Deceit | Janus Sanders, Teenagers, Trans Character, Trans Male Anxiety | Virgil Sanders, Trans Male Character</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-16 02:41:54</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,905</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/30127506</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/JWillowwolf/pseuds/JWillowwolf</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Logan was raised in a rather conservative home. He had a very traditional belief of what family meant. Then he met the Sanders family.</p>
<p>“Your family is quite interesting,” he commented to Virgil when they returned to his room after dinner.<br/>Virgil raised an eyebrow. “Good-interesting or bad-interesting?”<br/>“I’m not sure, but you are nothing like anyone I’ve ever acquainted before.”</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Logic | Logan Sanders, Nico Flores/Thomas Sanders</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>What FamILY Means [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2139873</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>78</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Sanders Family</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Before today, Logan believed that family was simple. After all, the number one definition of family was a group of one or more parents and their children living together as a unit. That seemed simple enough. He thought that parents meant a mother and father. Their children were conceived between them, and then raised together, or perhaps apart in some cases of divorce.</p>
<p>Then he met the Sanders family.</p>
<p>Logan did not know what he expected, but this was not it. currently, he was standing outside a quaint Victorian style, suburban home, painted cyan with white accents. It was moderately sized, with a two-car garage, and a lovely sized front garden that was enclosed by a white picket fence. There were some roses, sunflowers, violets, and forget-me-nots, which all looked very well taken care of. There was also a large rainbow flag hanging from the second story.</p>
<p>Again, Logan did not know what to expect in terms of where Virgil Sanders lived, but he wasn’t expecting this. It just didn’t ‘fit his aesthetic’. Virgil was the stereotypical emo kid, who always wore dark clothes, black makeup, and only seemed to speak to his edgy skater friends. Logan had not directly interacted with the other teen before, mind you, but Virgil’s group had a reputation for being rebellious.<br/>This house did not look like the home of a delinquent though. In fact, when a nicely dressed man with dark hair, glasses, and a goatee, answered the door, Logan began to wonder if he had the wrong address.</p>
<p>“Hello, does Virgil Sanders live here?”</p>
<p>“Yep. You must be Logan. I’m Virgil’s papa, Nico,” the man introduced himself, offering his hand to Logan.</p>
<p>“A pleasure to make you acquaintance, Mr Sanders.”</p>
<p>“Please, call me Nico. Sanders is my husband. Why don’t you come in and I’ll go call Virgil?” Nico said, stepping to the side for Logan to enter.</p>
<p>Logan nodded and stepped in but was mentally in shock at how casually Nico said he had a husband. To someone like Logan, that was not a normal occurrence. Especially considering how strict his own family was with their beliefs on the matter. The situation was… Not necessarily bad, but defiantly unfamiliar. The teen’s curiosity was most defiantly stirring.</p>
<p>“JANUS!” A young voice yelled from the hallway just as a teen slipped into the living room.</p>
<p>There was a black beanie covering their dark brown curls and face wise they looked like Virgil apart from their brown eyes. They ducked behind the couch where Logan was currently seated before someone else ran in. They had lighter brown curls, bright blue eyes, and glasses like Logan’s.</p>
<p>“Oh, hello,” the blue-eyed boy greeted. “I’m Patton.”</p>
<p>“Hello, Patton. My name is Logan.”</p>
<p>Patton gasped. “You’re the boy Virgil talked about!”</p>
<p>“You can’t just out Vee like that Pat,” The youth behind the couch scolded.</p>
<p>“Uh, I mean- HEY! Janus, I’m still mad at you. Give it back!”</p>
<p>The teen popped up and smirked. “Never.”</p>
<p>“Give it back!”</p>
<p>“No!”</p>
<p>“If you don’t, I’ll tell dad.”</p>
<p>“Tattletale.”</p>
<p>“Thief.”</p>
<p>“Cry-baby.”</p>
<p>“Meanie!”</p>
<p>“What’s going on?” Virgil questioned as he entered.</p>
<p>He was of course wearing his signature black eye shadow, but instead of his usual large, patched hoodie, he was sporting an oversized My Chemical Romance tee-shirt.</p>
<p>“Janus took my glitter pen.”</p>
<p>“Did not!”</p>
<p>“Did too!”</p>
<p>“Did not!”</p>
<p>Virgil rolled his eyes. “Jan, just give it back.”</p>
<p>“I don’t have it.”</p>
<p>“And I don’t have anxiety. Just give him his pen.”</p>
<p>Janus rolled their eyes and tossed the item over to Patton. “Woah, hey, you know I’m not good at catching things.”</p>
<p>“Whatever,” Janus said as they left.</p>
<p>Patton looked at the pen then frowned. “That -JANUS, GIVE ME MY ACTUAL PEN, YOU JERK!”</p>
<p>As Patton ran off, Virgil cringed and turned to logan with an awkward look. “Sorry about them. Siblings, you know?”</p>
<p>“I am an only child, but my younger cousins are particularly quarrelsome.”</p>
<p>Virgil nodded. “Right, uh, so do you want to do the project here or in my room?”</p>
<p>“Anywhere is fine.”</p>
<p>“Kay, follow me then.”</p>
<p>The pair left the living room and then went upstairs into a room that was -Logan supposed- more fitting with the other teen’s aesthetic. The walls were all covered in various band posters and several -probably fake- spiderwebs were hung around. There was a black, Wootton style writing desk, and the bed had a plaid black and purple cover. There was also a huge bookshelf, full of various stories and odd little trinkets, like candles, origami, jars, and a terrarium that housed a tarantula… Okay so maybe the webs weren’t fake?</p>
<p>“Do you mind spiders?” Virgil inquired, snapping Logan out of his thoughts.</p>
<p>“No. I find arachnids can be quite fascinating. And I assume that you’d keep it in the terrarium while we’re working?”</p>
<p>“Well, yeah. Angela’s not particularly social. So, what should we do for our project?”</p>
<p>Logan sighed. “Honestly, this assignment falls outside my area of expertise.”</p>
<p>They had been tasked with co-writing a short story for their English class, and Logan truly had no clue what to do. He was not a creative person and he didn’t read any fiction outside of the assignments they were given in class.</p>
<p>“Maybe if we pick a genre we could go from there?”</p>
<p>“I suppose that would be a good start. What do you typically enjoy?”</p>
<p>“Um, well, dark fantasy is cool. One book I’ve enjoyed is the Saviour’s Champion by Jenna Moreci. Oh, she has a YouTube Channel with advice for writers. Maybe we could look at that?”</p>
<p>“She makes videos about writing books?”</p>
<p>“About writing advice, and basically general advice for authors on the process of writing a book from the first draft to publication. Here we can watch on my laptop.”</p>
<p>The pair got comfortable on Virgil’s bed and then watched a few videos from Jenna’s channel. While they did so, Logan noted that the other teen was quite different from how he acted at school. Virgil had always seemed detached, uninterested, and even somewhat intimidating. Here and now though, sitting and watching a snarky yet witty young woman advise beginning writers, the usually ominous teen seemed… at peace.</p>
<p>In-between videos, the pair would talk about the different points that had been made and how they could apply the advice to their own story. Logan found it impressive how easily Virgil discussed story structure and world-building, almost like it was a second language.</p>
<p>In class, he acted withdrawn. Never interacting unless he was directly called upon by a teacher. Even then, he spoke in short answers, only giving what was asked of him and not a word more. No added flair or facts. Only plain simple answers. There was nothing wrong with that of course, but Virgil seemed so closed off and cold.</p>
<p>The difference greatly intrigued Logan. He found himself wanting to study Virgil’s habits so he could understand why he seemed so different here from school. Or maybe he wasn’t different. Maybe Logan just fed into that idea thanks to the school’s gossip.</p>
<p>Perhaps it was the change in atmosphere. After all, Virgil’s home was much more… welcoming, than school. It wasn’t loud and full of aggressive teens. It was also nothing like Logan’s home. No, there was no tense silence in the air. Here, it was quiet, but a comfortable kind of quiet. Like sitting by yourself in a library.</p>
<p>He had come over without any real expectations and yet this entire experience had caught him off guard. Virgil was so different from his reputation. His family was so different from what Logan was used to. Then again, with his conservative upbringing, everything was so vastly different from what Logan was used to.</p>
<p>After quite a few videos, there was a knock at Virgil’s door that interrupted their conversation.</p>
<p>“Come in.”</p>
<p>A man that Logan hadn’t seen before, opened the door. “Hey kiddo, it’s dinner time.</p>
<p>“Oh. Is it that late already?” Virgil asked.</p>
<p>Logan looked down at his watch and noted that it was now indeed six ‘o'clock.</p>
<p>“Yep, oh, hello. I’m Virgil’s dad, Thomas,” the man said when he noticed Logan.</p>
<p>“Hello, my name is Logan.”</p>
<p>“Would you like to join us for dinner, Logan?”</p>
<p>Logan thought a moment then nodded. “Yes, thank you.”</p>
<p>He technically didn’t have to be home until ten, so having dinner with the Sanders family wouldn’t get him in trouble or anything. Plus, it would be interesting to further observe Virgil and his family.</p>
<p>“Do you have any allergies or dietary preferences?” Thomas asked as the three left Virgil’s room.</p>
<p>“I don’t have any preferences or allergies I’m aware of.”</p>
<p>“Well, then I hope you like burgers. Nico is an incredible cook, and it would be a shame if you couldn’t enjoy his work.”</p>
<p>“They’re just burgers, dad.”</p>
<p>“Are you insulting your papa?”</p>
<p> “No, I’m saying you are kind of overselling it.”</p>
<p>“Lies. Logan, don't believe him. Nico’s burgers are a gift from heaven.”</p>
<p>“You say that about everything involving papa.”</p>
<p>“And I haven’t been wrong yet!”</p>
<p>Virgil rolled his eyes, but there was a ghost of a fond smile on his face. The interaction -Logan noted- was light-hearted and casual. Nothing like the interactions between Logan and his father. Thomas had a clam aura and talked very lovingly of his husband. Even during this mock-argument with Virgil, he maintained a soft tone, and didn’t look at the teen was any true resentment. Virgil himself was quite relaxed with the man and looked almost happy- which was starkly different from his stiff interactions with the teachers.</p>
<p>“Virgie! Look at my drawing!” Patton practically screamed once the trio entered the dining room.</p>
<p>Virgil smiled. “Nice work Pat. You’re becoming a Picasso.”</p>
<p>Patton titled his head to the side. “Pick-a-who?”</p>
<p>“Pablo Picasso was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist and stage designer considered one of the greatest and most influential artists of the 20th century,” Logan explained.</p>
<p>“Oh, that sounds cool!”</p>
<p>“You think everything is cool,” Janus said with an eye roll.</p>
<p>“Nuh-uh. Bullies aren’t cool, cheating isn’t cool, stealing isn’t cool, and raisins aren’t cool.”</p>
<p>Thomas raised an eyebrow. “Since when don’t you like raisins?”</p>
<p>“Since I gave him a raisin oatmeal cookie instead of a chocolate chip one,” Nico chuckled.</p>
<p>“Lying is not cool. Especially when it’s about chocolate.” Patton declared with the most serious expression that Logan had ever seen on a child.</p>
<p>“I for one prefer the raisins,” Janus stated.</p>
<p>Virgil narrowed his eyes at them. “Liar.”</p>
<p>“What proof do you have?”</p>
<p>“At least one hundred different photos of you stuffing your face with chocolate chip cookies during the holidays. You looked like a freaking hamster.”</p>
<p>“And you look like a racoon.”</p>
<p>“Kids be nice. We have a guest.” Thomas gently reminded them.</p>
<p>Janus turned to Logan. “I am not going to do that, so welcome to the family.”</p>
<p>Virgil raised an eyebrow. “You don’t want to be nice, but you’re welcoming him to the family?”</p>
<p>“I can be nice to him. You however don’t get that treatment, racoon.”</p>
<p>“Hamster.”</p>
<p>“I’m not a hamster!”</p>
<p>The friendly banter and faux arguing continued throughout the meal. It was nice to watch the Sanders family interact so openly. Logan found that even though it was a bit chaotic, he preferred it to the silence he was used to.</p>
<p>“Your family is quite interesting,” he commented to Virgil when they returned to his room after dinner.</p>
<p>Virgil raised an eyebrow. “Good-interesting or bad-interesting?”</p>
<p>“I’m not sure, but you are nothing like anyone I’ve ever acquainted before.”</p>
<p>“Who says acquainted?”</p>
<p>“I just did, and so did you.”</p>
<p>“I- That’s not what I meant, but anyway, all families are unique in their own ways. What makes ours so different?”</p>
<p>Logan thought for a moment. “I am unsure. I would need more time to properly analyse things for an accurate answer.</p>
<p>“You want to analyse my family?”</p>
<p>“When you phrase it like that, I sound rather creepy. I only mean that I would want to further observe your interactions to understand things.”</p>
<p>“So, you want to watch my family.”</p>
<p>“This is getting weirder, isn’t it?”</p>
<p>Virgil shrugged. “Eh, you’re not the first person to think we’re odd. But usually, they want to change us, not understand us… if you want, you’re welcome any time to observe us, I guess. Dad and Pop seem to like you, Patton likes people in general, and Janus already basically welcomed you into the family. But before that, we should get to work on a basic outline for our book.”</p>
<p>Logan nodded in agreement. They would need to finish their assignment, but once he got home, Logan opened a new word document and typed out some notes on the beginnings of his new project. A personal study on family, and what it really meant.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The Mysteries of Dynamics</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Logan learns about siblings, gender identity, and Disney Movies. There's a bit of angst but I hope the fluff makes up for it. 💜</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Over the next few weeks, Logan continued to visit the Sanders family to work with Virgil and of course, observe. Over dinner, he was able to watch interactions between the children and their parents.</p>
<p>Thomas was an actor and play writer, while Nico was a romance author. They both worked from home for the most part and always made time to see their children. It was interesting how the two fathers cared for their kids.</p>
<p>When Patton was sad about something, they comforted him. they assured him his feelings were valid. They offered hugs and cuddles and whatever else he needed until he’d had time to process those unhappy emotions.</p>
<p>When Janus seemed angry, they got them to talk about their feelings. They didn’t tell them to ignore whatever upset them. Instead, they would sit together to figure things out. Whether it was just Janus needing to vent, or they needed help with a frustrating project, Thomas and Nico were there for them.</p>
<p>When Virgil talked about his day, they listened. They listened when he complained about the bad days. They shared in his happiness on the good days. They laughed with him at funny occurrences and offered comfort after difficult days.</p>
<p>It was all interesting. Nothing like his own interactions with his parents. The only thing he found more intriguing was Virgil’s relationships with his siblings.</p>
<p>With Patton, Virgil was patient and soft-spoken. If Patton made a joke, usually some horrendous pun, Virgil gave him a kind smile. If Patton showed Virgil his art or craft projects, the older boy never hesitated to give praise. Patton himself seemed to look up to Virgil like he was a superhero. It was quite… adorable if Logan was being honest.</p>
<p>Patton was also quite fond of Janus, but their relationship was still different. Janus didn’t always smile at the puns, though they’d sometimes add onto the joke. When it came to Patton’s art, they were mostly nonchalant. Still, they would tease their little brother, and play games even if they were “getting too old for this”. Patton and Janus were siblings and best friends.</p>
<p>Then there was the dynamic that honestly was the source of Logan’s confusion. Virgil and Janus. They often traded snarky comments over dinner, called each other names, and -when their dads and Patton weren’t looking- resorted to rude hand gestures or -oddly enough- sign language.</p>
<p>Yet, Janus would check in to see that they were taking breaks and staying hydrated, and Virgil would see some video -unrelated to their research- and save it for later to watch with Janus. It was small gestures but showed how they cared for each other.</p>
<p>Honestly, Logan was unsure what to make of it. He didn’t realise siblings could be this complicated. Then again, he never had any himself. Perhaps he could count Jesse, but even if they were raised together, she was just his cousin. He hasn’t even heard from her since she went off to college really.</p>
<p>And they never had a relationship as close as the Sanders siblings did. No matter how the vast differences between their dynamics were, Logan was sure the three cared for each other. Today, in fact, he had witnessed a rather special moment between the trio.</p>
<p>It was a Friday, and the end of the month, which meant that Nico and Thomas would be out for a date night. So, Virgil, Logan and Patton were working on homework in the living room for a change. They weren’t supposed to go to Virgil’s room apparently because Patton was too scared of Angela to even stand in the doorway. By now, Logan knew that Virgil wouldn’t let Angela out, and besides that, she was incredibly docile to the point where one could pet her. But those facts would not ease Patton’s arachnophobia.</p>
<p>Janus was not home yet due to a rehearsal at their school. Apparently, they had a lead role in the upcoming play, so they couldn’t get out of the rehearsal if they wanted to.</p>
<p>But then the front door opened and was loudly slammed shut, causing Virgil to freeze and Logan and Patton to jump.</p>
<p>“Jan?” the youngest called out.</p>
<p>A moment later, the preteen appeared, looking rather tense and -if the puffy cheeks were anything to go by- they had been crying. “I <em>hate</em> theatre.”</p>
<p>Virgil snapped out of his daze. “What happened?”</p>
<p>“Nothing. I just hate theatre. The bright lights, extravagant costumes, endless rehearsals, the <em>people</em>,” Janus ranted, then slouched down onto one of the armchairs. “I want to quit.”</p>
<p>“You may be a good actor, but that was the worst lie I’ve ever heard. What the heck happened, Janus?” Virgil questioned.</p>
<p>“…someone misgendered me. And the teacher defended <em>her</em>.”</p>
<p>Patton gasped. “Oh, Jan. Do you want a hug?”</p>
<p>Janus nodded numbly and was instantly hugged by their younger brother.</p>
<p>“I’ll message dad and pops about this, but for now, what do you want to do?” Virgil asked.</p>
<p>“I… can we just watch a movie. I don’t want to think about it.” Janus declared.</p>
<p>“Are we going to watch a Disney movie?” Patton asked, failing to hide his excitement.</p>
<p>Janus smiled. “Sure, Pat.”</p>
<p>“Yay!” Patton squealed. “Hey, Logan, do you have a favourite Disney movie?”</p>
<p>“Um, I can’t say I’ve ever watched any Disney movies.”</p>
<p>“What?” All three Sanders siblings exclaimed.</p>
<p>Logan shrugged. “My parents were rather strict with what I could watch, and they didn’t approve of Disney’s fantasy style.”</p>
<p>“Oh, now we need to have a marathon,” Janus declared. “Not watching at least one Disney movie is a crime. We’ll have to introduce you to all the classics.”</p>
<p>“Could we set up a pillow fort?” Patton inquired.</p>
<p>“Yes, and we’ll need snacks. Vee?”</p>
<p>“You guys build the fort, Logan and I can grab the snacks.”</p>
<p>Janus nodded then led Patton away in search of pillows, blankets, and stuffed animals for their fluffy fortress. Virgil smiled softly after them then turned to Logan.</p>
<p>“Are you okay with this?”</p>
<p>“Honestly… I have no idea what’s going on,” Logan admitted. “I know Janus was upset but then perked up at the idea of a movie marathon.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, sometimes the best thing for recovering from sadness is a distraction. Are you okay with setting our work aside for the night to watch some movies? Maybe staying over? It could be good for your observation thing.”</p>
<p>“We’ve been working quite hard, and it is the weekend, so I suppose a break sounds agreeable. I will need to confirm with my parents about staying the night, but I don’t believe they shall object.”</p>
<p>“Great. Follow me to the kitchen and we can pick out some snacks.”</p>
<p>Logan did as he was told and went with Virgil to gather snacks. They got various flavoured chips and a large bowl of popcorn, as well as some chocolate chip cookies. Logan sent a message to his mother while Virgil arranged their haul on a party platter. His mother sent back her permission, and he then pocketed his phone, when a question came to mind.</p>
<p>“Virgil.”</p>
<p>“Hmm?”</p>
<p>“What does misgender mean?”</p>
<p>“It’s when someone incorrectly assumes -or purposefully mocks- your gender identity.”</p>
<p>“Oh… um, I don’t mean to be rude, but what is Janus’ identity.”</p>
<p>“You’re not being rude by asking. If anything, it’s a lot better to ask than assume, and often people will feel grateful for your respect. Janus is nonbinary and uses the pronouns they/them.”</p>
<p>“What is nonbinary?”</p>
<p>“Well, it’s a gender identity that is neither male nor female. If you think of gender as a spectrum, then nonbinary would fall somewhere within the middle, or even outside of that line. There are other identities such as genderfluid, queergender, and agender, who can also overlap with nonbinary, but they’re not the same. The internet could give you better definitions than I can.”</p>
<p>“Interesting. How do such individuals figure out their identity?”</p>
<p>Virgil shrugged. “It’s different for everyone. Some, like Janus and I, figure things out early on. Others don’t realise it till they’re in the teens and struggling with dysphoria.”</p>
<p>“What is dysphoria?”</p>
<p>“It’s basically a feeling of dissatisfaction, anxiety, and restlessness. You can feel that <em>something</em> is wrong, but you might not be able to tell exactly what. The dissatisfaction can range anywhere from with your physical appearance to how you’re perceived by others.”</p>
<p>“I see. It sounds difficult.”</p>
<p>“Yeah. It can get unbearable.”</p>
<p>“Um, Virgil. I don’t know how to say this but… You said Janus and I, were you referring to helping Janus with their identity or figuring out your own?”</p>
<p>“Oh, I meant figuring things out for myself. I was born with a female body, but I always felt like something was wrong. Then I realised that I was a boy.”</p>
<p>“So, you are transgender?”</p>
<p>“Yes.”</p>
<p>“Wow.”</p>
<p>“Should I take that as a compliment?”</p>
<p>“I just… Didn’t expect it? I’ve never actually met any transgender individuals and I am not entirely sure what I was expecting.”</p>
<p>“Well not everyone passes as easily as me. There are only a few of us really who get help early on to transition. Even if we recognise ourselves as trans, others don’t believe us because of how young we are.”</p>
<p>“That sounds terrible… have you ever been misgendered?”</p>
<p>“Only once,” Virgil said softly. “I… my mom gave me up for adoption when I was four. My father had left, and she couldn’t feed us both, so she felt that I’d have a better life with someone else. Papa and Dad adopted me a few months later and I came out after being with them for a bit. Then, when I was eight, my dad died, and his lawyer called mom and me for the funeral since we were listed in his will. Apparently, he had felt guilty for the whole abandoning his family thing and left us something. I saw my mom again after all that time, and she was remarried and had a new kid, but she still loved me. She called me her daughter at first, but then I told her I was now her son, and she just… she accepted me and switched over to my preferred name and pronouns. She was the best.”</p>
<p>“Was?”</p>
<p>“She and her partner died in a car crash when I was ten.”</p>
<p>“I’m sorry you experienced that loss.”</p>
<p>Virgil looked up with a soft smile. “There’s no need to be sorry. It was years ago and in no way your fault. I’m just glad we reconnected before she passed on.”</p>
<p>“Did you stay with the Sanders after you and your mother reunited?”</p>
<p>“Well, yeah, they’re my dads and I love them. Mom lived nearby so it was easy to stay in touch. We made a lot of good memories with the time we had.”</p>
<p>A moment of silence fell between the pair, but despite the heavy conversational subjects, it seemed more like a comfortable lapse than a tense moment. Virgil has been through a lot, Logan noted. In his early life, he’d lost the support of his biological parents, then had to come to terms with his identity as a trans individual. And while he’d reunited with his mother for a time, she’d been taken from him in a rather traumatizing manner. Yet he soldiered on through life.</p>
<p>“Thank you for sharing with me.”</p>
<p> “Thank you for listening. I don’t know what you’re thinking, but not a lot of people react so great when they find out I’m trans.”</p>
<p>“They sound like idiots.”</p>
<p>Virgil laughed at that. “They were. But never mind them, it’s about time we got back to check up on the fort-builders.”</p>
<p>Logan nodded and followed the other teen back to the living room, where Janus and Patton were debating what to watch first since they had finished building their fort. Two of the couches had been turned, back’s facing each other so that there were two steady walls for either side of the fort. The back of the fort was made from a sturdy pile of couch cushions, while the inside was lined with a multitude of soft pillows and stuffed animals, and it was all covered with a dark blue blanket that seemed to be decorated with constellations.</p>
<p>“I see you two went all out,” Virgil commented.</p>
<p>“It’s a pillow fort. You got to go all or nothing!” Patton beamed. “Oh, are those chocolate chips!”</p>
<p>Logan nodded and handed the plate to Patton. “So, this is a pillow fort.”</p>
<p>“Please don’t tell me you’ve never made one of these,” Virgil said.</p>
<p>“I think we need to make a list of things to show you at this point,” Janus commented.</p>
<p>“There can’t be that much I’ve missed out on.”</p>
<p>Janus raised an eyebrow. “Have you ever had a sleepover before now? Or at least hosted one?”</p>
<p>“No.”</p>
<p>“You have missed out on your entire childhood.”</p>
<p>Virgil rolled his eyes. “Don’t be so dramatic Jan.”</p>
<p>“No Disney movies, no pillow forts, no sleepovers. Does that sound like a real childhood to you?”</p>
<p>“Well, there are other things that make childhood a childhood. Playing games at the park, going to the beach, getting a pet, being read a bedtime story.”</p>
<p>“Going on family holidays!” Patton added excitedly.</p>
<p>Virgil nodded. “Exactly. You’ve had that right, L?”</p>
<p>“I have walked in the park with my parents as a child, but I’ve never gone to the beach or gotten a pet.”</p>
<p>“Tell me you’re joking.”</p>
<p>“No, that is the truth.”</p>
<p>“Oh my God, you’ve never had a childhood,” Virgil stage whispered as he stared at the other teen in disbelief.</p>
<p>“What about bedtime stories and family vacations?” Patton inquired.</p>
<p>“My parents both have busy schedules and usually we host family at our house around the holidays. I have however read plenty of books for myself at night.”</p>
<p>“You’ve never had a parent read to you at bedtime?”</p>
<p>“Um, no.”</p>
<p>“Okay, now we <em>need</em> to make that list. There is no way we can let you live on without experiencing the joys of childhood,” Janus declared. “And we’ll start now, with Big Hero 6.”</p>
<p>“Big Hero 6?”</p>
<p>“It’s about superheroes and robots,” Patton said excitedly.</p>
<p>Virgil nodded. “You’ll love it.”</p>
<p>After that, they put on the movie and got comfortable in the fort. Logan sat on the far left, with Virgil beside him, Patton next to Virgil, and Janus next to Patton. The animation was quite good, and the storyline was captivating. Watching Hiro become a superhero, gain friends, and overcome the grief of losing his older brother. It was… incredible.</p>
<p>“What did you think?” Patton asked once the movie had ended.</p>
<p>“It was good. Baymax’s dedication to healing Hiro’s emotional pain as well as physical was rather… touching.”</p>
<p>“Do you think that someone could build a real-life Baymax?” Patton wondered with a hopeful look.</p>
<p>Logan smiled softly and shrugged. “It’s possible, I suppose. Anything is really.”</p>
<p>“Even alternate realities?” Janus inquired.</p>
<p>The possibility of alternative worlds has never been proven. But likewise, it has never been disproven. So, really, anything is possible.</p>
<p>“I wonder if there’s a reality where we don’t exist. Or we’re just some made-up characters that people like to write, draw, and act as.” Virgil said, glancing over to the wall.</p>
<p>Janus raised an eyebrow. “That seemed oddly specific.”</p>
<p>Virgil shrugged. “Just a thought. Anyway, how about we keep in line with the Si-Fi theme and watch an underrated classic, Treasure Planet?”</p>
<p>Patton clapped his hands excitedly and Janus nodded in agreement.</p>
<p>“What is this movie about?” Logan inquired.</p>
<p>“Well, the main story is based off Treasure Island. The animation style is 2D, but it’s so well drawn you wouldn’t believe it was released in 2002. As I said, it’s an underrated classic, and if you liked Big Hero 6 then I’m sure you’ll love this.” Virgil answered.</p>
<p>Logan did end up liking Treasure Planet. They also watched Atlantis: the Lost Empire, The Great Mouse Detective, Mulan, Meet the Robinsons, and [after Patton fell asleep] Black Caldron. He enjoyed them all immensely and would have watched more if he hadn’t fallen asleep on Virgil’s shoulder.</p>
<p>That night, Logan made many discoveries.</p>
<p>1, that gender is complicated.</p>
<p>2, Janus is nonbinary.</p>
<p>3, Virgil has been through a lot.</p>
<p>4, the Sanders siblings love Disney.</p>
<p>5, Logan might love Disney.</p>
<p>6, it’s nice being a part of… this.</p>
<p>He wasn’t sure yet what <em>this</em> was, but it really was nice. Having dinner at the Sanders house, getting to observe and even interact with them all, being invited to have a sleepover and watch movies. It was… it felt good. Logan liked being a part of this.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Greetings from the author. I'm still very new to writing publically, so suggestions for any tags or edits are welcome. This is just the beginning of what I hope to be a wholesome story about family and understanding how different it can be for everyone. If you liked it, I hope you have a wonderful day! if you didn't like it, I hope you still have a wonderful day and find something you do like.<br/>Farewell, dear reader.<br/>-JW</p></blockquote></div></div>
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